


Jemma Simmons: Gift Wrapper Extraordinaire

by stjarna



Series: 25 Days Christmas Romance Challenge and AoS Advent 2017 [8]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: 25 Days of Christmas Prompt Challenge, Acquaintances to Lovers, F/M, It's somewhere between strangers and friends, because they technically already know each other, is that a thing?, ish, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 19:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12941796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjarna/pseuds/stjarna
Summary: From the25 Days of Christmas Romance ChallengeDay 7: Character A can’t wrap gifts to save their life. Character B is their neighbor and can help.





	Jemma Simmons: Gift Wrapper Extraordinaire

Jemma looked up from the cutting board when she heard a knock on the front door. She put down the knife and wiped her hands off on her apron.

“Coming!” she exclaimed, cheerfully. She took off her apron and hung it on the small hook on the side of her fridge, before heading down the hallway.

She swung the door open and was pleasantly surprised to see her neighbor from across the hall. He had moved in only a few weeks ago and Jemma hadn’t had a chance to really get to know him yet (although Daisy had teased her that she looked at him as if she wanted to get to know him real good).

His hands were tucked into his pockets and his curly brown hair looked rather disheveled. A shy smile was playing on his lips and he seemed a tad flustered, his skin shiny with nervous sweat.

Jemma smiled at him widely. “Fitz, how can I help?”

His eyes widened, and he pulled out one hand from his pocket, pointing at Jemma and nodding vigorously. “Help? Help?” he stammered, breathlessly. “Yeah, that’s actually exactly what I need.”

“Oh.” Jemma wrinkled her forehead in concern. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. No. Well. Yeah.” He nervously scratched behind his ear. “This…umm… this will make me look a bit bonkers and it’s a bit embarrassing but I’m at my wits end and—” He paused, flipping his hand forward and gesturing at Jemma “—and _you_ look like the kind of person who knows how to wrap gifts.”

“Wrap gifts?” Jemma squinted in confusion.

Fitz nodded, raising his index finger in the air. “Yeah. Just one actually.”

“Umm,” Jemma muttered, still not understanding.

“It’s for my mum. I’m trying to wrap it up and send it to Scotland so that it makes it in time for Christmas, and… and—” He shrugged, looking rather pitiful. “I’m completely hopeless.”

“Oh.” Jemma’s eyes widened and she smiled widely. “Well, sure. I can help.”

His eyes lit up as he exclaimed a hopeful “Really?”

Jemma bobbed her head in confirmation. “Yes, absolutely.”

“Oh thank god.” Fitz ran his hands through his disheveled curls, making them stick out in an even wilder, but rather adorable formation. “It’s been driving me nuts. I mean—” He gestured at himself. “I’m an engineer. I work with my hands, with delicate and complicated designs. And… and I’ve wrapped gifts before—maybe not to win any competitions, but they were wrapped in the end—but… but this thing has a really weird shape and—”

“There are gift wrapping competitions?” Jemma asked in amusement.

“Yeah, well, maybe not.” Fitz chuckled quietly, and Jemma couldn’t help but join in.

She gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. “Well, I’ll just grab some of my supplies and dash right over to your place in just a few minutes, shall I?”

Fitz nodded, sighing in relief. “That… that would be amazing.”

* * *

Fitz stared wide-eyed at the two bags and one large plastic container that Jemma heaved through the door to his apartment. “Bloody hell, what is all that stuff?”

“My gift wrapping supplies.” Jemma replied matter-of-factly, lifting the box and bags slightly higher and smiling widely.

Fitz took the supplies from her, raising his eyebrows. “Wow. You… you would definitely win in a gift wrapping competition.”

Jemma chuckled. “Well, how about you wait until I’ve actually wrapped your present before you start giving me such high praise.” She looked around his apartment. “Now, where is this oddly shaped gift you were telling me about?”

Fitz lifted his chin in the direction of the far end of the living room area. “Dining table.”

Jemma squinted, before walking over to the open-kitchen and dining area. Fitz followed her with her supplies. Jemma picked up the gift from the table, turning it and inspecting it from all angles. “Ah, yes, I see. That is a bit of a conundrum indeed. But no worries! I’ll have it wrapped in no time. It may require your help though.”

“I’ll be sure to satisfy your every need,” Fitz remarked, placing the box and bags on the table, before freezing in his movements. “I mean I’ll do it.” He swallowed hard, feeling his ears burn up. “I mean, put me to good use.” Fitz closed his eyes shut, wishing he could disappear through the floor. He looked back at Jemma, grimacing in pain. “I mean—Ugh, bloody hell.”

To his relief, Jemma laughed out loud, her eyes sparkling joyfully. “How about we start by wrapping this present?”

Fitz nodded in relief. “Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.”

A playful and rather suggestive smile appeared on her lips. “And then maybe later we can see if there are any other needs you could help me with?”

**Author's Note:**

> Have I mentioned that I sometimes just can't resist ending a fic on NoChill!Jemma?


End file.
